I’ll Get Better (Perhaps Not)

We set up this year’s Christmas tree last night. We had the tree in the stand with lights on it on Saturday, but no ornaments or skirt until last night. I think it turned out well:

It’s got a bit of a lean to it, but most of that is by virtue of its being a real tree – it has a decent crook mid-trunk. Having never done the real trees growing up, I can say that I’ve really enjoyed it since being married. The whole process is fun, from going out with the family, finding the perfect tree, bringing it home, and setting it up. Every year the arrangement of all the ornaments changes drastically based on the breed of tree and how its branches grow, and the tree itself gives a different flavor to things.

One of the best parts, though, might be the prep work and process of decorating – I have a lot of ornaments, and they almost all have some significance to me. We’ve tried to do the same with Ian’s ornaments, and now with Hadassah’s we’ll do the same, putting the year we give them the ornament on it, and if they get one from someone else, the name of who gave it to them. It’s awesome every year to be able to pick out the ornament my grandparents gave me in 1983. I also love the fact that so many of my ornaments are pretty tacky. For instance, the plastic Santa with a felt suit on, bowling. That’s one from the early 80′s as well. Awesome.

As a side note, it’s very telling to me that I need to update more often, considering that three posts ago there’s a picture of last year’s tree.